Twelve months gone in what seemed like just a moments time.
We celebrated our tenth year of marriage a couple of weeks ago, ten years! What a fantastical adventure it has been~ I can't imagine a life lived without Greg. We are each others best friends, we still clown around like we did fifteen years ago, and I have more fun with him than anyone else. Thank you Greg for being a great husband, father, and friend. I love you more than anything. Thank you for the two best children in the universe (and hopefully one or two more in our future). Thank you for standing beside me in good times and in bad times. There have been days and moments that made me wonder whether or not I could make it. You remind me that I can. You are the solid foundation of our family together. I love your laugh and your heart. You are a man of integrity. I love you for all you do. Here's to many more years together!
Thank you God for all your continued blessings.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Changes
Been a long time since we've updated this blog and thanks to places like Facebook it almost seems like there is no need anymore. Part of me misses blogging so I'm going to make a run for it again and if no one except me reads it, then so be it.
Since April there have been some changes.
First off, Domenico is already 1o months old! He is faster moving than Belly was- he is already taking steps (up to 6 at a time now before falling), getting his 1st tooth (!), and is growing at a much faster pace (at last check he was 18 lbs 8oz and 27" long). He is a little more stubborn than she was and in true fashion like a boy, enjoys roughhousing and getting into mischief. That said- he has a great disposition, he is happy, healthy, and has a smile like you can't believe. His addition to the family was just the best thing. He loves Belly and thankfully she loves him right back. They make quite the duo.
Belly turned 6 in May and is now in first grade. My baby is really growing up. Its so cliche to say that but honestly, I don't think either of us realized how much time speeds up after you have children. She is doing fabulous in school- already reading on a 2nd grade level! She is very smart and inquisitive. She has been playing soccer since August, it's a non competitive micro soccer league with K and 1st grade. She has had a blast and since the start of the practices, has really morphed into a good little player. She isn't super agressive at the goal but finally managed to make a goal two weeks ago in a game. Everyone was so excited for her!
Greg and I had been very busy since my return to work in April. It was/is hard to leave Domenico to go back to work but the paycheck and benefits were critical to our having a place to live and medical insurance so back I went to work. sigh... Nevertheless, we adjusted. We had to find a nanny who was flexible to come over when we needed her. The 1st lady we hired started off great but then about 8 weeks in failed to make the cut and we fired her and had to look for another. Fortunately we found a good replacement and she's been with us since June. The kids really like her and its working out pretty well.
The biggest change since April is with Greg. He left Chipotle. After 4 years of hearing the same open ended promises of "keep working hard and we will get you to that GM position" and nothing ever coming to fruition he finally had enough. At the end he was working 55-60 hours a week for the same salary, dealing with micro-managing assholes who had no investment in moving anyone up as long as other stores were doing well, and he watched two co-workers with the same or less experience (but less seniority which counts for nothing) move to a GM position. He decided to call it quits and left in October. We decided that he could take some time off to spend with the kids and be a stay at home dad for a bit but he plans to return to work on a part to 3/4 time basis in the next month or so. Jobs aren't totally scarce but they are harder to come by with more applicants in the mix so its possible he might not return to work until the beginning of next year. On that note- he has also decided to return to school in the Winter quarter to start working on the completion of his bachelors degree! Times are changing for us indeed.
I'm still busy with 911 work. The Union position I took on in January has been a blessing and a curse. It takes up a lot of time for me but has allowed me access to places I didn't get to see before. I like to think we are having a positive effect but time will tell once we hit the bargaining table early next year. Things are looking to be contentious and busy.
We are still working on our plan for debt freedom. It fell by the wayside for a little over a year or so. When we found out we were having a baby we stopped paying extra and started saving so I could be off unpaid for the first 3 months on maternity leave. When I went back to work the extra money was nice and old habits die hard- we went back to eating out and traveling and no extra money. Of course now that Greg is off work and without a check we are feverish to get back on track towards being debt free and less money to budget means it will be harder to get there. On the bright side, we haven't increased our debt load (with the exception of capitalized student loan interest) since beginnning the plan and still have no credit cards to speak of. I'm proud of where we started and where we are today, even if its not as far along as we'd hoped.
Halloween just passed us by and now we are in my favorite time of the year. We aren't 100% on what our plans for the holidays are yet. Originally we planned to be in CA for Christmas and D's birthday but after Greg left work money became more of an issue. We may be sidelined in OR afterall which is still OK but kind of a bummer since we wanted to get away this year.
Of course what would be the nicest thing is that we wouldn't have to travel at all during the holidays and that our family would come up to spend it with us wherever we are. That's not happened though since we've moved away and isn't likely probably ever (sad to say). Our kids miss out to some degree. I remember every year growing up as a kid that my immediate family HAD to travel to the family. I remember only a handful of times when they came to us from the time we moved to the coast to when my dad died. It was like we were punished by family for moving away even if that was never their intention. The only person who ever made an effort to visit on a regular basis was my Grandma. She was a good traveler though and not afraid to go out on her own. When we moved to Visalia it was much the same- we went wherever the people were, rare to come our way. Special events were the exception. I wonder how it is that we get to that place. Are we truly more adventurous, are we just more willing to go and see those that are important to us, or do we place travel high on our list of priorities? Since moving to OR, it sometimes feels like we are out of sight and therefore out of mind. Its both good and bad. Speaking frankly, its not even far away family that is the sole issue- we have family right here in the Portland area that put us somewhere on the priority list spot of about 3 or 4. We've made a vow to each other that in the our future when our children are grown and moved out of the house we will make every effort to be with them when we can. We will be there for milestones, not forget important dates or events, and be in contact with them as often as we can. This blog has taken a different tone that originally expected... I will get off my diatribe now...
Regardless, its been 5 years since we spent any holiday time with our CA family since moving here and so hopefully the stars will align and Greg will get a flexible part time position willing to let him go unpaid for a week or so so that we can travel south. It's D's 1st Christmas and it should be a lot of fun. I'd like to spend some quality time with my Grandma who is degenerating thanks to a Parkinson's like disease. Once she goes Greg and I will have no more grandparents.
Well I'd better run- off to bed since someone has to get Belly up in the morning for school. :)
Since April there have been some changes.
First off, Domenico is already 1o months old! He is faster moving than Belly was- he is already taking steps (up to 6 at a time now before falling), getting his 1st tooth (!), and is growing at a much faster pace (at last check he was 18 lbs 8oz and 27" long). He is a little more stubborn than she was and in true fashion like a boy, enjoys roughhousing and getting into mischief. That said- he has a great disposition, he is happy, healthy, and has a smile like you can't believe. His addition to the family was just the best thing. He loves Belly and thankfully she loves him right back. They make quite the duo.
Belly turned 6 in May and is now in first grade. My baby is really growing up. Its so cliche to say that but honestly, I don't think either of us realized how much time speeds up after you have children. She is doing fabulous in school- already reading on a 2nd grade level! She is very smart and inquisitive. She has been playing soccer since August, it's a non competitive micro soccer league with K and 1st grade. She has had a blast and since the start of the practices, has really morphed into a good little player. She isn't super agressive at the goal but finally managed to make a goal two weeks ago in a game. Everyone was so excited for her!
Greg and I had been very busy since my return to work in April. It was/is hard to leave Domenico to go back to work but the paycheck and benefits were critical to our having a place to live and medical insurance so back I went to work. sigh... Nevertheless, we adjusted. We had to find a nanny who was flexible to come over when we needed her. The 1st lady we hired started off great but then about 8 weeks in failed to make the cut and we fired her and had to look for another. Fortunately we found a good replacement and she's been with us since June. The kids really like her and its working out pretty well.
The biggest change since April is with Greg. He left Chipotle. After 4 years of hearing the same open ended promises of "keep working hard and we will get you to that GM position" and nothing ever coming to fruition he finally had enough. At the end he was working 55-60 hours a week for the same salary, dealing with micro-managing assholes who had no investment in moving anyone up as long as other stores were doing well, and he watched two co-workers with the same or less experience (but less seniority which counts for nothing) move to a GM position. He decided to call it quits and left in October. We decided that he could take some time off to spend with the kids and be a stay at home dad for a bit but he plans to return to work on a part to 3/4 time basis in the next month or so. Jobs aren't totally scarce but they are harder to come by with more applicants in the mix so its possible he might not return to work until the beginning of next year. On that note- he has also decided to return to school in the Winter quarter to start working on the completion of his bachelors degree! Times are changing for us indeed.
I'm still busy with 911 work. The Union position I took on in January has been a blessing and a curse. It takes up a lot of time for me but has allowed me access to places I didn't get to see before. I like to think we are having a positive effect but time will tell once we hit the bargaining table early next year. Things are looking to be contentious and busy.
We are still working on our plan for debt freedom. It fell by the wayside for a little over a year or so. When we found out we were having a baby we stopped paying extra and started saving so I could be off unpaid for the first 3 months on maternity leave. When I went back to work the extra money was nice and old habits die hard- we went back to eating out and traveling and no extra money. Of course now that Greg is off work and without a check we are feverish to get back on track towards being debt free and less money to budget means it will be harder to get there. On the bright side, we haven't increased our debt load (with the exception of capitalized student loan interest) since beginnning the plan and still have no credit cards to speak of. I'm proud of where we started and where we are today, even if its not as far along as we'd hoped.
Halloween just passed us by and now we are in my favorite time of the year. We aren't 100% on what our plans for the holidays are yet. Originally we planned to be in CA for Christmas and D's birthday but after Greg left work money became more of an issue. We may be sidelined in OR afterall which is still OK but kind of a bummer since we wanted to get away this year.
Of course what would be the nicest thing is that we wouldn't have to travel at all during the holidays and that our family would come up to spend it with us wherever we are. That's not happened though since we've moved away and isn't likely probably ever (sad to say). Our kids miss out to some degree. I remember every year growing up as a kid that my immediate family HAD to travel to the family. I remember only a handful of times when they came to us from the time we moved to the coast to when my dad died. It was like we were punished by family for moving away even if that was never their intention. The only person who ever made an effort to visit on a regular basis was my Grandma. She was a good traveler though and not afraid to go out on her own. When we moved to Visalia it was much the same- we went wherever the people were, rare to come our way. Special events were the exception. I wonder how it is that we get to that place. Are we truly more adventurous, are we just more willing to go and see those that are important to us, or do we place travel high on our list of priorities? Since moving to OR, it sometimes feels like we are out of sight and therefore out of mind. Its both good and bad. Speaking frankly, its not even far away family that is the sole issue- we have family right here in the Portland area that put us somewhere on the priority list spot of about 3 or 4. We've made a vow to each other that in the our future when our children are grown and moved out of the house we will make every effort to be with them when we can. We will be there for milestones, not forget important dates or events, and be in contact with them as often as we can. This blog has taken a different tone that originally expected... I will get off my diatribe now...
Regardless, its been 5 years since we spent any holiday time with our CA family since moving here and so hopefully the stars will align and Greg will get a flexible part time position willing to let him go unpaid for a week or so so that we can travel south. It's D's 1st Christmas and it should be a lot of fun. I'd like to spend some quality time with my Grandma who is degenerating thanks to a Parkinson's like disease. Once she goes Greg and I will have no more grandparents.
Well I'd better run- off to bed since someone has to get Belly up in the morning for school. :)
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Well... back to blogging!
Not sure how that happened. It was just January and now it's April!
Well- I suspect our recent addiction to Facebook may have played a part of our ignoring the blog. We are such sheep!
What's new with us?
A just went back to work after 14 weeks off. It's a hard transition but going back to paid status will be nice. We were successful though for that entire time in not receiving paychecks from A's job. Our plan of pre-saving worked wonders and shockingly enough- there is money leftover!
G is busy as ever with work. Hopefully he will have a chance to promote when new stores open in the fall. For now, no positions to promote are available. We are fortunate that at least for now, the economy hasn't affected his job and he is still employed. We have discussed what we would do IF there were layoffs so we are trying to prepare just in case.
Belly is doing fantastic! She is almost six. I can't believe our baby girl is almost six years old!! She is really growing, it's more apparent than ever since Domenico's arrival. She seems so grown up. God- we love that kid! She loves her new little brother and is so good with/to him. She is doing great in kindergarten. I just chatted with her teacher the other day and she is reading 3 levels ahead of her kindergarten books! We are overwhelmed with pride. :)
Domenico, Domenico, Domenico! He is one awesome little baby. We got lots of naysayers who told us since Belly was such a great infant we would have a devil baby this time around. Well so far D has proven them wrong much to our delight! He is already 3 months old and is one smiley, giggly, chunky eating machine. He is due for a 4 month well baby at the end of April so not sure what his current weight/length is but at 2 months he was 11 lbs 2.5 oz/24" long. He is already nearing double his birth weight! He is sleeping through the night which has been fantastic. We had some nights in the earlier months that were trying at best. Sleeplessness is not good for this family or for our mental health.
Next week we are off to CA to celebrate Easter with the family and baptize D. We are so excited.
Let's see... G's parents were just here for almost 2 weeks. It was so nice. Honestly, when are they going to just move up here?! It would be a godsend to have more family here for the kids to grow up around. I was separated from my extended family as a child and while we saw everyone during holidays and vacations it was never the same as my friends who grew up playing with their cousins who lived in the same town. Moving back just isn't feasible for us. We have good jobs and really love the area. I'll admit too that it's nice to live near my mom despite the fact that we don't spend a lot of time with her. Maybe one day we will convince the SMra portion of the family to join us....
I have lots and lots of pics to upload to the blog but it will take several hours so I'll just upload a couple for now. Maybe soon I will figure out a way to add a link for pictures.
Daddy and D. 3/7/09
Domenico- Future Chipotle spokesman. 9 weeks old.
The M girls following Belly's debut as flower girl. 3/7/09
Belly 3/7/09
Well- I suspect our recent addiction to Facebook may have played a part of our ignoring the blog. We are such sheep!
What's new with us?
A just went back to work after 14 weeks off. It's a hard transition but going back to paid status will be nice. We were successful though for that entire time in not receiving paychecks from A's job. Our plan of pre-saving worked wonders and shockingly enough- there is money leftover!
G is busy as ever with work. Hopefully he will have a chance to promote when new stores open in the fall. For now, no positions to promote are available. We are fortunate that at least for now, the economy hasn't affected his job and he is still employed. We have discussed what we would do IF there were layoffs so we are trying to prepare just in case.
Belly is doing fantastic! She is almost six. I can't believe our baby girl is almost six years old!! She is really growing, it's more apparent than ever since Domenico's arrival. She seems so grown up. God- we love that kid! She loves her new little brother and is so good with/to him. She is doing great in kindergarten. I just chatted with her teacher the other day and she is reading 3 levels ahead of her kindergarten books! We are overwhelmed with pride. :)
Domenico, Domenico, Domenico! He is one awesome little baby. We got lots of naysayers who told us since Belly was such a great infant we would have a devil baby this time around. Well so far D has proven them wrong much to our delight! He is already 3 months old and is one smiley, giggly, chunky eating machine. He is due for a 4 month well baby at the end of April so not sure what his current weight/length is but at 2 months he was 11 lbs 2.5 oz/24" long. He is already nearing double his birth weight! He is sleeping through the night which has been fantastic. We had some nights in the earlier months that were trying at best. Sleeplessness is not good for this family or for our mental health.
Next week we are off to CA to celebrate Easter with the family and baptize D. We are so excited.
Let's see... G's parents were just here for almost 2 weeks. It was so nice. Honestly, when are they going to just move up here?! It would be a godsend to have more family here for the kids to grow up around. I was separated from my extended family as a child and while we saw everyone during holidays and vacations it was never the same as my friends who grew up playing with their cousins who lived in the same town. Moving back just isn't feasible for us. We have good jobs and really love the area. I'll admit too that it's nice to live near my mom despite the fact that we don't spend a lot of time with her. Maybe one day we will convince the SMra portion of the family to join us....
I have lots and lots of pics to upload to the blog but it will take several hours so I'll just upload a couple for now. Maybe soon I will figure out a way to add a link for pictures.
Daddy and D. 3/7/09
Domenico- Future Chipotle spokesman. 9 weeks old.
The M girls following Belly's debut as flower girl. 3/7/09
Belly 3/7/09Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Finally. A post.
Can you believe our boy is almost a month old already??!! (and we hadn't posted till today you ask?). Life is busier and more exhausting but honestly, much more complete. Domenico (pronounced as Dough-men-icko for those of you confused) fits right into the family, its like he always should have been here. It's great.
We always felt confident that Belly would adjust just fine to the baby and thankfully our instincts were correct. She loves this little guy more than we could have imagined. She hovers over him like a little old yenta waiting for him to either need her for something or entertain her somehow. She carries him around, feeds him bottles, tries to comfort him when he cries, and is always looking for ways to help us. She is steadfastly against changing diapers but does like to supervise. She has even been a victim of the old firehose going off (in her face no less!) and she laughed it off.
So far Domenico is doing all the baby stuff he should be doing. Mostly this involves a LOT of eating. He is already up to 4 ounces at a time at least 6-7 times a day. He is really growing! When he arrived he was just 6.12. When we took him in for his 5 day appointment he had lost just 2 ounces which was great. Less than a week after that we took him into the pediatrician to get his eye checked and he already weighed 6 lbs 15 oz. He happened to have his 2 week appointment just 3 days later and was up to 7 lbs 3.5 oz over the weekend! At last check he was already up to 20.5 inches (grown a full inch in about 2-3 weeks). His doctor said he went from the 25th percentile in length and head circumfrence to the 75th percentile! To this day, Belly has never been anything more than the 50th percentile. This little guy is a bruiser in the making. :o)
He is becoming more and more alert each day. He hasn't quite mastered the sleeping through the night part as well as Belly did (he likes to stay awake and be snuggled after eating whereas she would pass out as soon as she burped) so we have had some sleepless nights, but, since we upped his bottles to 4oz. he seems to be sleeping more soundly and for longer periods of time which is great. He has a pretty mellow temperment and is just starting to give us peeks of his first real smiles.
Greg was fortunate to take the first week off with us which was great. It was a chance for us to relax together and spend some time with both Belly and the baby. I'm off till late March (yay!!) and possibly even until mid April if there is a way to swing it financially. I'm already dreading the day I have to go back to work (and so is Greg since our crazy schedules should make for interesting days/nights for Domenico). Right about now being independently wealthy would be fantastic.
Overall, life is good. All of the waiting and hoping and praying for a second child was worth it. Now-- if we could just get some visitors to come and meet this new guy that would be even better. Anyone need a vacation?!?
Since we have so many pictures and uploading them into 1 blog would take an eternity, we will break it down week by week with pics and what not. Enjoy!
oh yeah-- as a side note, our 100th post was introducing Domenico. :)
a second side note here... If we can curb our new addiction to facebook (yes- we BOTH are "those" people), we promise to make a concerted effort to update this blog more often. Check back soon!
Can you believe our boy is almost a month old already??!! (and we hadn't posted till today you ask?). Life is busier and more exhausting but honestly, much more complete. Domenico (pronounced as Dough-men-icko for those of you confused
We always felt confident that Belly would adjust just fine to the baby and thankfully our instincts were correct. She loves this little guy more than we could have imagined. She hovers over him like a little old yenta waiting for him to either need her for something or entertain her somehow. She carries him around, feeds him bottles, tries to comfort him when he cries, and is always looking for ways to help us. She is steadfastly against changing diapers but does like to supervise. She has even been a victim of the old firehose going off (in her face no less!) and she laughed it off.
So far Domenico is doing all the baby stuff he should be doing. Mostly this involves a LOT of eating. He is already up to 4 ounces at a time at least 6-7 times a day. He is really growing! When he arrived he was just 6.12. When we took him in for his 5 day appointment he had lost just 2 ounces which was great. Less than a week after that we took him into the pediatrician to get his eye checked and he already weighed 6 lbs 15 oz. He happened to have his 2 week appointment just 3 days later and was up to 7 lbs 3.5 oz over the weekend! At last check he was already up to 20.5 inches (grown a full inch in about 2-3 weeks). His doctor said he went from the 25th percentile in length and head circumfrence to the 75th percentile! To this day, Belly has never been anything more than the 50th percentile. This little guy is a bruiser in the making. :o)
He is becoming more and more alert each day. He hasn't quite mastered the sleeping through the night part as well as Belly did (he likes to stay awake and be snuggled after eating whereas she would pass out as soon as she burped) so we have had some sleepless nights, but, since we upped his bottles to 4oz. he seems to be sleeping more soundly and for longer periods of time which is great. He has a pretty mellow temperment and is just starting to give us peeks of his first real smiles.
Greg was fortunate to take the first week off with us which was great. It was a chance for us to relax together and spend some time with both Belly and the baby. I'm off till late March (yay!!) and possibly even until mid April if there is a way to swing it financially. I'm already dreading the day I have to go back to work (and so is Greg since our crazy schedules should make for interesting days/nights for Domenico). Right about now being independently wealthy would be fantastic.
Overall, life is good. All of the waiting and hoping and praying for a second child was worth it. Now-- if we could just get some visitors to come and meet this new guy that would be even better. Anyone need a vacation?!?
Since we have so many pictures and uploading them into 1 blog would take an eternity, we will break it down week by week with pics and what not. Enjoy!
oh yeah-- as a side note, our 100th post was introducing Domenico. :)
a second side note here... If we can curb our new addiction to facebook (yes- we BOTH are "those" people), we promise to make a concerted effort to update this blog more often. Check back soon!
December 29th
Domenico's birthday!!
Diabetes aside, this was a great pregnancy. I only gained about 3 pounds, didn't really have much morning sickness (a blessing since I was sick the entire time with Belly), and until the last couple weeks or so, wasn't too uncomfortable. Even if the whole nine months had turned out to be filled with discomfort, I doubt I could complain since we have both wanted a second child so badly and prayed so hard for a chance to have this little guy.
This was a speedy labor (again, much like last time)! I had a doctor appointment at noon on the 29th. It was to be the last appointment prior to my induction (which was scheduled for 1/6/09). About around 1:00pm as I was eating lunch at home I noticed that the contractions I'd been feeling off and on for the last few days had suddenly become regular. By the end of the hour they were picking up speed and coming and going every 5 minutes or so. A quick call to Greg and he was on his way home so we could make our way to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital (with Belly in tow) just after 4:00pm and by now, labor was in full swing. I was having contractions every couple of minutes and they were decidedly more uncomfortable than I remember with Belly.
We were moved into triage and voila (!), this baby was ready to be born! The nurse literally ran my wheelchair to the delivery room just in case he decided to arrive sooner than later. One very necessary epidural later and not much longer after that, our son arrived! Born at 7:11 pm, he is perfect. Isabella even had the chance to witness his birth and was there as he arrived. What a day for our family!
Just arrived at the hospital. Yes- I'm in labor here, really.
8 centimeters dialated, no drugs (yet), and we are all still smiling.
Belly waiting patiently for her brother's arrival.
Here he is!!
Belly greeting her brother about 1 minute after he is born.
6 lbs 12 ounces, 19 1/2 inches long
Belly showing off her new brother
Domenico and Daddy
Belly and Domenico
Nana meeting Domenico.
First feeding.
Getting cleaned up.
Footprints!
Domenico and Mom.
The two of us and our new son. :)
Diabetes aside, this was a great pregnancy. I only gained about 3 pounds, didn't really have much morning sickness (a blessing since I was sick the entire time with Belly), and until the last couple weeks or so, wasn't too uncomfortable. Even if the whole nine months had turned out to be filled with discomfort, I doubt I could complain since we have both wanted a second child so badly and prayed so hard for a chance to have this little guy.
This was a speedy labor (again, much like last time)! I had a doctor appointment at noon on the 29th. It was to be the last appointment prior to my induction (which was scheduled for 1/6/09). About around 1:00pm as I was eating lunch at home I noticed that the contractions I'd been feeling off and on for the last few days had suddenly become regular. By the end of the hour they were picking up speed and coming and going every 5 minutes or so. A quick call to Greg and he was on his way home so we could make our way to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital (with Belly in tow) just after 4:00pm and by now, labor was in full swing. I was having contractions every couple of minutes and they were decidedly more uncomfortable than I remember with Belly.
We were moved into triage and voila (!), this baby was ready to be born! The nurse literally ran my wheelchair to the delivery room just in case he decided to arrive sooner than later. One very necessary epidural later and not much longer after that, our son arrived! Born at 7:11 pm, he is perfect. Isabella even had the chance to witness his birth and was there as he arrived. What a day for our family!
Just arrived at the hospital. Yes- I'm in labor here, really.
8 centimeters dialated, no drugs (yet), and we are all still smiling.
Belly waiting patiently for her brother's arrival.
Here he is!!
Belly greeting her brother about 1 minute after he is born.
6 lbs 12 ounces, 19 1/2 inches long
Belly showing off her new brother
Domenico and Daddy
Belly and Domenico
Nana meeting Domenico.
First feeding.
Getting cleaned up.
Footprints!
Domenico and Mom.
The two of us and our new son. :)Time at the hospital
What we hoped for was for the doctors to shoo us out of the hospital on the 30th since labor and delivery went good and our little one was healthy. Their plan didn't match mine and they kept me until the 31st. bummer.
The hospital stay was pleasant though. The nursing staff was outstanding, the food was actually tasty, and the hospital room I had was an actual room instead of the crappy broom closet joke of a room I had with Belly. Greg stayed the first night (Belly dutifully went to Nana's house for the night- much to her dismay) but the second night I insisted he sleep at home so Belly could be at home too. She wasn't very pleased about her not being allowed to sleep over at the hospital too.
On the morning of the 31st after a thorough exam, both of us had a clean bill of health to head home. yay!!
Big sister so proud of her new brother.
Exactly 24 hours old!
Domino checking out his surroundings.
Bryan and Julie with Domenico.
Happy after having a little dinner.
12/31/08. One last check before going home.
"Get me dressed!!!! It's cold!!!!"
"Ahhh... Thanks. I feel warm and cozy now."
Domenico and his super sized bulldog pal.
Belly and Domino. About ready to head home.
Happy!
Domenico and Daddy.
All buckled up. Let's go!
Leaving. Maybe we will be back for another round....
The hospital stay was pleasant though. The nursing staff was outstanding, the food was actually tasty, and the hospital room I had was an actual room instead of the crappy broom closet joke of a room I had with Belly. Greg stayed the first night (Belly dutifully went to Nana's house for the night- much to her dismay) but the second night I insisted he sleep at home so Belly could be at home too. She wasn't very pleased about her not being allowed to sleep over at the hospital too.
On the morning of the 31st after a thorough exam, both of us had a clean bill of health to head home. yay!!
Big sister so proud of her new brother.
Exactly 24 hours old!
Domino checking out his surroundings.
Bryan and Julie with Domenico.
Happy after having a little dinner.
12/31/08. One last check before going home.
"Get me dressed!!!! It's cold!!!!"
"Ahhh... Thanks. I feel warm and cozy now."
Domenico and his super sized bulldog pal.
Belly and Domino. About ready to head home.
Happy!
Domenico and Daddy.
All buckled up. Let's go!
Leaving. Maybe we will be back for another round....The first few days
We survived the first few days. We were all exhausted. All four of us. Naps are a good thing.
This time around we are sans help. Newborn care is hard work. You forget how much time you spend waking up, feeding, changing diapers, etc. It's not bad, it's just tiring. Last time around we had visitors for the first couple of weeks, either staying over or actually coming and going. This time it's a lot quieter. We are very fortunate that Belly is independent enough that if you need a nap (or 10) she will just occupy her time without getting into trouble. The nice part is/was that the two of us fell into a routine as though we had been doing it all along. Our children are very fortunate to have such a hands on dad. Greg is not one to laze around. If a diaper needs changing, a bottle needs to be made, or a baby is crying and needs to be snuggled, he is on it. It makes for nice teamwork.
Despite our sleep deprived state, we still can't sit still. We took Domenico out for a shopping trip on the 1st to buy a few items we needed that we never bought before his early arrival. We tried to get out for a little bit each day even if it was just a drive to the store and back. The crazy weather continued and even dumped a little more snow. Incidentally, snow is no longer exciting. Before when we would get a dusting it was the highlight of our week, now it's old news. Been there- done that.
Here are a few pics from the first few days at home...
Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009!
Belly ringing in the new year.
Domenico ringing in the new year.
1/1/2009. Greg and his brood.
Buckled up and ready for his first visit to Target. The first of MANY visits.
Belly loving on her brother.
Really? More snow? Ok.
1/2/09. Resting in his new swing.
Domenico, 4 days old.
8 day old baby toes.
First bath! 1/10/09, 12 days old.
After the bath with Daddy, then Mommy.
Warming up after the bath.
This time around we are sans help. Newborn care is hard work. You forget how much time you spend waking up, feeding, changing diapers, etc. It's not bad, it's just tiring. Last time around we had visitors for the first couple of weeks, either staying over or actually coming and going. This time it's a lot quieter. We are very fortunate that Belly is independent enough that if you need a nap (or 10) she will just occupy her time without getting into trouble. The nice part is/was that the two of us fell into a routine as though we had been doing it all along. Our children are very fortunate to have such a hands on dad. Greg is not one to laze around. If a diaper needs changing, a bottle needs to be made, or a baby is crying and needs to be snuggled, he is on it. It makes for nice teamwork.
Despite our sleep deprived state, we still can't sit still. We took Domenico out for a shopping trip on the 1st to buy a few items we needed that we never bought before his early arrival. We tried to get out for a little bit each day even if it was just a drive to the store and back. The crazy weather continued and even dumped a little more snow. Incidentally, snow is no longer exciting. Before when we would get a dusting it was the highlight of our week, now it's old news. Been there- done that.
Here are a few pics from the first few days at home...
Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009!
Belly ringing in the new year.
Domenico ringing in the new year.
1/1/2009. Greg and his brood.
Buckled up and ready for his first visit to Target. The first of MANY visits.
Belly loving on her brother.
Really? More snow? Ok.
1/2/09. Resting in his new swing.
Domenico, 4 days old.
8 day old baby toes.
First bath! 1/10/09, 12 days old.
After the bath with Daddy, then Mommy.
Warming up after the bath.two weeks old
Our silly girl
Waiting at the doctor office for the 1st well baby. 2 weeks old today!
Belly and Domino.
Mom and son.
Annie and her brood.
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